Echinacea plant named ‘Twilight’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Echinacea  plant named ‘Twilight’, characterized by its upright and columnar plant habit; freely branching growth habit; large inflorescences with red purple-colored ray florets and dark purple-tipped receptacle spines; relatively early flowering habit; fragrant inflorescences; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Echinacea hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Twilight’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea plant, botanically known as Echinacea hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Twilight’.

The new Echinacea is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Dahlonega, Ga. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new fragrant Echinacea cultivars with early flowering responses and unique ray floret coloration.

The new Echinacea originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in July, 2002 of the Echinacea purpurea cultivar White Swan, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unnamed selection of Echinacea purpurea×Echinacea paradoxa, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Echinacea was discovered and selected as a single flowering plant by the Inventor in a controlled environment in Dahlonega, Ga. in June, 2003 from the resultant progeny of the stated cross-pollination. The new Echinacea was selected on the basis of its unique ray floret coloration.

Asexual reproduction of the new Echinacea by tissue culture was first conducted in Atlanta, Ga. in September, 2003. Since then, asexual reproduction by tissue culture has shown that the unique features of this new Echinacea are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Twilight has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Twilight’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Twilight’ as a new and distinct Echinacea:

-   -   1. Upright and columnar plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Large inflorescences with red purple-colored ray florets and         dark purple-tipped receptacle spines.     -   4. Relatively early flowering habit.     -   5. Fragrant inflorescences.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Echinacea can be compared to plants of the female parent, the cultivar White Swan. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Dahlonega, Ga., plants of the new Echinacea differed from plants of the cultivar White Swan in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Echinacea were more compact than plants of         the cultivar White Swan.     -   2. Plants of the new Echinacea flowered earlier than plants of         the cultivar White Swan.     -   3. Plants of the new Echinacea and the cultivar White Swan         differed in ray floret coloration as plants of the cultivar         White Swan had white-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Echinacea can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Dahlonega, Ga., plants of the new Echinacea differed from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Echinacea were shorter than plants of the         male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Echinacea were more freely flowering than         plants of the male parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Echinacea and the male parent selection         differed in ray floret and receptacle spine coloration as plants         of the male parent selection had magenta-colored ray florets and         golden yellow-colored receptacle spines.

Plants of the new Echinacea can be compared to plants of the Echinacea cultivar Magnus, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Dahlonega, Ga., plants of the new Echinacea differed from plants of the cultivar Magnus in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Echinacea were more compact than plants of         the cultivar Magnus.     -   2. Plants of the new Echinacea and the cultivar Magnus differed         in ray floret coloration as plants of the cultivar Magnus had         magenta pink-colored ray florets.     -   3. Plants of the new Echinacea and the cultivar Magnus differed         in receptacle spine coloration as plants of the cultivar Magnus         had golden orange-colored receptacle spines.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Echinacea showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Echinacea.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Twilight’.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Twilight’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Dahlonega, Ga., in an outdoor nursery under full sun conditions during the summer. When the plants were about one year old, the photographs, observations and measurements were taken. Plants used for the detailed description were grown in one-gallon containers. During the year-long production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from −2° C. to 32° C. and night temperatures ranged from −15° C. to 21° C. Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Echinacea hybrida cultivar Twilight. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Echinacea purpurea cultivar White             Swan, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed selection of Echinacea             purpurea×Echinacea paradoxa, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By tissue culture.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About three weeks at 24° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About eight to nine             weeks at 24° C.         -   Root description.—Thick, fleshy and freely branching; white,             close to 155A, in color. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Perennial herbaceous container and garden plant.             Upright and columnar plant habit; narrow inverted triangle.             Freely basally branching; about seven basal branches per             plant. Moderately vigorous.         -   Plant height.—About 20.5 cm.         -   Plant width or area of spread.—About 23 cm.         -   Basal branches.—Length: About 18 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Internode length: About 3.4 cm. Aspect: Upright. Strength:             Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Basal leaves, opposite;             after flowering, alternate; simple. Length: About 9.6 cm.             Width: About 2.3 cm. Shape: Lanceolate; elongated. Apex:             Acuminate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Venation             pattern: Parallel. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Pubescent; rough. Color: Developing and fully expanded             foliage, upper surface: Close to 147A. Developing and fully             expanded foliage, lower surface: Darker than 147B. Venation,             upper surface: Close to 146A. Venation, lower surface: Close             to 145C. Petiole: Length: About 3.6 cm. Diameter: About             3.5 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth; glabrous.             Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144A to 144B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Terminal inflorescences held above the foliage             on strong peduncles. Composite inflorescence form, radially             symmetrical; elongate oblong-shaped ray florets; disc             florets massed at the center; ray and disc florets develop             acropetally on the receptacle. Inflorescences persistent.             Inflorescences face upright.         -   Time of flowering.—Long flowering period; plants flower             freely from the late spring and continue to flower             continuously until the autumn in Dahlonega, Ga.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color             and substance for about two weeks on the plant.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—One inflorescence per stem;             about eight open inflorescences and flower buds per plant.         -   Fragrance.—Sweet; honey or rose-like.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Length: About 9 mm. Diameter: About             7.5 mm. Shape: Ovoid; conical. Color: More green than 147A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 8.2 cm. Depth (height):             About 1.8 cm. Disc diameter: About 2.3 cm. Receptacle             diameter: About 9 mm. Receptacle height: About 8 mm.             Receptacle shape: Conical.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 4.1 cm. Width: About 8 mm. Shape:             Elongated oblong. Apex: Emarginate or acute. Base:             Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny; longitudinally ridged.             Orientation: Initially upright and eventually slightly             arching. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 24             in a single whorl. Color: When opening, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 60A. Fully opened, upper surface: Close             to 60A. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 60C.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Elongated tubular. Apex: Five-pointed;             acute. Length: About 6 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Number of disc             florets per inflorescence: Numerous; massed at the center of             the inflorescence. Color: Immature: Close to 144A. Mature,             apex and mid-section: Close to 144A to 144B; tipped with             close to 185A. Mature, base: Close to 155D.         -   Receptacle scales.—Arrangement: One per disc floret;             conspicuous, larger than disc florets. Length: About 1.2 cm.             Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Shape: Elongate; spinescent; sharply             acuminate. Texture: Stiff; smooth. Color: Apex: Close to             23A; tipped with 185A. Mid-section: Close to 144A. Base:             Close to 155D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: Numerous in about             five whorls. Length: About 1.3 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Fused to             receptacle. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: More             green than 147A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Stamen number: About five per floret. Anther shape:             Elongated oblong. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther color:             Close to 202A. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close             to 15A. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets.             Pistil number: One per floret. Pistil length: About 6 mm.             Stigma shape: Two-parted. Stigma color: Close to 6A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development has not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Echinaceas has not been observed on plants grown under outdoor     conditions. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Echinacea have been observed     to have good garden performance and to tolerate wind and rain.     Plants of the new Echinacea have been observed to tolerate     temperatures from −15° C. to 35° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea plant named ‘Twilight’, as illustrated and described. 